Today is Ash Wednesday.

Had I not sat across a lady in the jeepney with a black cross mark on the forehead, this day would have passed without me knowing its significance. Yes, if you’re a busy person like me and you’re a Catholic, today is Ash Wednesday. It is the day signifying the start of the Lenten season.

Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of imposing ashes on the foreheads of the faithful as a symbol of repentance. If you don’t know yet, the ashes used on Ash Wednesday are gathered from the burned Palm Crosses from the previous year’s Palm Sunday. In the Roman Catholic Church, this day is observed by repentance, fasting and abstinence from meat. But more importantly, it is a day of contemplating one’s transgressions.

For me, this day is the best reminder that we are more than our earthly possessions. Indeed, we are from dust and unto dust we shall return. It doesn’t matter how rich we are, how popular or powerful we have become in this world, in the end, we will leave all of these worldly possessions behind. What matters most is how we accept the truth that we are sinners and we fell short of what is expected of us as Christians. Yes, we are at the mercy of God’s love so let’s make everyday a testament of God’s eternal goodness.

May God richly bless us all this Lenten season!